Mischief in Mudbug by Jana DeLeon Page A

backward. Through the slits in his mask, Sabine could see his eyes widen with surprise. He paused only a second to stare at her, then turned and ran into the woods at the edge of downtown. Sabine stared after him, sending up thanks for the seven years that she’d spent the time and money driving to New Orleans for martial arts lessons. Finally deciding that he wasn’t going to try for a repeat performance, she picked up her cell phone from the sidewalk and hurried down the sidewalk to the police station.
    No use sending up the alarm…especially not with Mildred right across the street and already worried about her. Her attacker was long gone and short of an Olympic sprinter or a bloodhound, there was going to be no catching him. Not tonight anyway. She paused for a moment before opening the door to the police station. This was really a waste of time, and she knew it, but regardless of their ability, it was still their problem. Maybe if odd things continued to happen around town, the city council might just figure out that an inept ex-fisherman and his otherwise unemployable nephew might not be the best choices to keep the city safe. She sighed as she pulled the door open.
    Getting a competent police force was as likely as the town banning beer and losing religion.
    Sabine exited the police station after what was probably the most frustrating thirty minutes of her life. Oh, there was a whole lot of writing—longhand—on legal pads, and the constant nodding and glances between Leroy and his idiot nephew, but it all amounted to nothing. The reality was, the business with Maryse had shocked the town but absolutely no one was willing to believe it was anything but an isolated incident—the ravings of a madman. And now that the madman was gone, there couldn’t possibly be anything more than the normal redneck offenses going on in Mudbug.
    At least that’s what they wanted to believe.
    There was noise across the street and she looked up in time to see the last of the patrons leaving the restaurant and the owner locking the door behind them. She glanced down at her watch and sighed. It was past time for her to be in pajamas, and she was going to regret every minute of her Kill Bill routine the next morning when her alarm went off.
    “Is everything all right?” The voice sounded close to her and caused her to jump. Beau was standing next to his truck.
    “Oh,” she said, flustered. “I didn’t see you there.”
    “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
    “No, it’s not, I mean…I just didn’t expect to see you here.”
    “I needed to talk to a few people around the area. The conversations went a bit longer than I thought they would, and I was hungry.” He shrugged. “I decided to have dinner before I started the drive back. So…is everything all right?”
    Sabine shook her head. “No. I don’t think so, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
    Beau stepped onto the sidewalk and looked closely at her. “What happened?”
    “I saw someone lurking in the shadows on the corner when I left the restaurant.” She let out a single laugh. “Listen to me—lurking in the shadows. I sound like a B horror movie.” She looked at Beau, expecting to see him smiling, but his expression was serious and he didn’t look happy.
    “Lurking where, exactly?”
    Sabine pointed to the end of the street. “The corner, just in front of the general store. I know I should have just minded my own business and gone home, but after the attempted break-in at my shop, I thought maybe someone was trying to break into the store.”
    “And you thought you’d apprehend a thief? Why in the world would you put yourself at risk like that? You’ve got a police station just down the block.”
    Sabine smirked. “Yes, and the state of our policemen is why I thought I was a better choice for the job. I might look fragile, but I assure you I can take care of myself.”
    “Really…you packing?”
    “No. I mean, not on me. I do have a pistol if